Who Says You Can't Go Home Again?
by ididthatonce
Summary: Kurt gets a bombshell dropped on him one day after school.  Can he handle going back to McKinley, or will this step mean going two steps back?
1. Bad News

Kurt burst through the front door of his house. He carefully removed his blue jacket with the red trim, placed it on a coat hanger, and dusted the lint off his shoulders. "Dad! Carol! I'm home!" He shouted. As soon as he had finished the phrase, Blaine stumbled in behind him, dropping his backpack and jacket on the floor next to the door. "Blaine is here, too." Kurt added with a sigh.

The house was eerily silent. Each step the boys took towards the kitchen seemed to echo and reverberate in between the white walls of the hallway. After an eternity, they reached the kitchen.

Burt, Carol, and a woman Kurt had never seen before were sitting at the kitchen table, solemn looks on their faces. "Boys! Do you want a snack? I have some leftover spaghetti from last night I can heat up!" Carol cooed, sounding like she was trying to convince herself to smile. She began fixing the snack while the strange woman shifted uncomfortably in the wicker-seated chair. She had white-blond hair put in a bun at the nape of her neck that seemed to be keeping her head fastened onto her neck. Her face was stoic, a poker face. Around her neck was a silk scarf, meticulously matching the tones in her skirted business suit.

"Kurt, have you met Mrs. Anderson yet?" Burt offered after a few minutes of silence. Kurt offered his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Ma'am. I'm Kurt. I'm one of Blaine's classmates. We're in the Warblers together. He's enabling my coffee addiction in between class and practice." He laughed nervously.

"Nice to meet you, Kurt." Mrs. Anderson replied in an ice-cold voice with a touch of a Southern accent. "Blaine has told me so much about you."

"What are you doing here, Mom?" Blaine finally blurted out, cheeks turning bright red at such a formal introduction. "Is everything all right?"

"We got some bad news today, and Mrs. Anderson, Carol, and I felt like we should tell you boys together." Burt shrugged. "Why don't you two have a seat. It's a doozy." At this point, Carol had re-heated the leftovers and was placing them in front of Blaine and Kurt in brightly-colored ceramic bowls. The steam stung Kurt's eyes, and he blinked back tears.

"Boys, Dalton Academy is closing its doors on Friday." Mrs. Anderson coolly stated. "The President of the school has been funneling school funds to his overseas mistresses, and the school simply has no more money to run." Everyone sat in silence for a minute, the clicking of the kitchen clock the only sound.

"I'm sorry, what?" Blaine was the first to break the silence.

Burt re-stated Mrs. Anderson's words.

"That doesn't make a lick of sense." Kurt responded. "We pay out the ass in tuition. How is the money just gone?"

"Watch your language. We have a guest here." Carol muttered.

"I've got a right to be upset. Where on Earth are we supposed to go?" Kurt could feel the heat rising in his face.

"It's too late in the semester to transfer to another private school." Mrs. Anderson stated. "Blaine and you will be returning to your former school for the remainder of the semester. After that time, we will see about transferring you to a proper academy."

"I'm gong BACK to McKinley?" Kurt shouted.

"Calm down, son. It'll be fine. Blaine is going to be there with you." Burt plainly stated.

"It's NOT going to be okay. Do you remember why I left that hellhole? Do you remember what people did to me at that school?" Kurt stood up, knocking his chair over. In any other situation, he would have picked it up, but he was too angry.

"There is literally nothing we can do." Carol chimed in. "You heard Mrs. Anderson. It's too late in the semester."

"So homeschool me. I'm already ahead in my classes. It'll be easy." Kurt tossed his arms in the air with every sentence.

"You know that's not possible. Carol and I have to keep our jobs. Neither of us even remember 10th grade classes. You'll be fine." Burt tried to calm his son down.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe you're just shipping me back there." Kurt shouted. Without hesitation, he stomped off to his room.


	2. Moving Forward, Looking Back

Kurt curled up under his covers without even kicking off his shoes. His eyes were burning red-hot, tears right at the brim of his eyelids. _How can they do this?_ He wondered, _Send me back to McKinley? So Karofsky can assault me again? So I can get slushied every day of my life until I either graduate or die? _With a sensation not unlike being burned, the tears spilled out of his eyes and onto the silk pillowcase on his bed.

Mid-cry, there was a knock on the door.

"Not now, Dad." Kurt yelled.

Blaine peeked his head in through the crack in the door. "Actually, it's me." Kurt mumbled something into his pillow, and Blaine sat down on the foot of his bed. They sat in silence for a minute, neither wanting to acknowledge what had happened. Never one to keep silences for long, Blaine shrugged, "Well, I guess that's that. I'm going to McKinley with you on Monday. Your dad and Mom already registered us for most of the same classes so the transition is easier. The classes I'm not in with you, Finn is in with you. You'll never be alone."

Kurt mumbled into the pillow again. Blaine sighed and pulled the blanket off his head. "Can we talk like grown-ups, please, and not like kids?"

"We are kids." Kurt argued, pulling the blanket back up. But, being the stronger of the two, Blaine forced Kurt to sit upright.

"I'm not thrilled either, you know."

"'Not thrilled' is the understatement of the century. I'm dreading it. Scared shitless. Considering fleeing the country."

"And go where?"

"I think I have a cousin in Quebec. Je peux parler le français." Kurt tried to lay back down, but Blaine kept him upright.

"Your parents made it perfectly clear. We're going to McKinley on Monday. Game, set, match. The principal has been made aware of our situation. I know it's not ideal, but we're going to go, and that's that."

Kurt burst into sobs again, this time making no attempt to hide them behind a blanket. Blaine patted him on the back, trying to empathize, but having a hard time of it nonetheless. He smiled. "You know, this isn't how I hoped you'd meet my mom." Kurt finally smiled.

"Not the warmest mother, is she?" Kurt rolled his eyes.

"You'd be surprised," Blaine replied. "She does make a mean apple pie."

The next two days at Dalton were a blur. Someone was crying, someone cleaned out his locker and found a dead mouse, someone set a trash can on fire. Even the teachers gave up trying to cram the last bit of information about the Magna Carta into the classroom, and instead let the boys spend the days programming each others' numbers into their cell phones and discussing where they would go. Some boys, banned from the local public schools, were off to military school. Some were going to McKinley or Carmel High. Some, left with nowhere else to turn, were simply going to drop out and pray that a GED was in the cards. By the time Kurt had managed to drag all his textbooks, locker decorations, and pilfered keepsakes from the school home on Friday, he was almost prepared to return to McKinley.

Almost.

At exactly 6:45 on Friday night, someone once again knocked on Kurt's bedroom door. The rhythm was the characteristic 6/8 beat from "America" from _West Side Story. _There was no question who was about to burst through his door.

"Rachel!" Kurt squealed as she walked in with a box full of DVD's, banana clips, and nail polish. Quickly behind were Tina and Mercedes.

"Kurticus! My love, my daaaaarling." Rachel shouted in the theatrical fashion only she could do. "Finn told us everything. We had to come prepare you for next week."

Mercedes and Tina both hugged him hello, and they quickly set themselves up with popcorn, avocado masks, and, of course, Rachel's extended edition copy of _My Fair Lady_. They giggled, painted their nails, and gossiped. It was almost like old times.

"Did I miss any drama in Glee?" Kurt asked. "Finn doesn't exactly share these things over the dinner table."

"Or know what's going on half the time." Tina added.

"Quinn and Sam broke up." Mercedes shared, a sly smile growing on her face. Kurt shrieked in surprise.

"No! Barbie and Ken are no more? Say it ain't so." He laughed.

"Yep. Sam dated Santana for like a week, but they broke up." She nodded.

"Word on the street is that Santana plays for your team these days." Tina whispered, looking over her shoulder in case anyone should overhear.

"Ain't my team." Kurt laughed. "Although if we're going with the baseball metaphor, I think Team Lesbian would win with a landslide. Are she and Brittany together now?"

All three shook their heads. "Still with Artie." Tina added.

"And you are...?" Kurt gave Tina the side-eye.

"Still with Mike. Still very much in love with Mike. Still very much over one Arthur James Abrams."

"Still single." Mercedes volunteered. "And not looking. I swear, if you set me up on a blind date with another Warbler, I'm going to-" she cut herself off, forgetting that the Warblers were no more as of that afternoon. "Are you going to be okay?" She asked, pulling Kurt into a bear hug.

"Assuming Karofsky stays the hell away from me, probably." He sighed.

"You'll be fine, babe." Rachel cooed. "You'll have someone in every class with you. You know, after you transferred, Figgins really stepped up security at the school. We have two cops on duty all day now. There's a zero-tolerance bullying policy in place. Mr. Schue told us that any teacher who fails to report bullying will be put on probation. It's pretty serious stuff."

Kurt sighed again, wanting to forget about the whole problem. Thankfully, just then, "I Could Have Danced All Night" came on, and all four danced around his room, singing along.

* * *

A/N: Wow... thanks to everyone for the positive feedback and the following! This is my first foray into fanfiction in 10 years or so (save for a few PWP pieces during the Winter Olympics, but we're going to pretend that those didn't happen), so I'm glad y'all are enjoying it! Please don't hesitate to review- I'm a writer by profession, so any critique helps me hone my craft. Much love to everyone!


	3. Getting Ready for the Trouble

On his last Sunday as a Dalton Boy, Kurt knocked on Blaine's front door. Blaine, having left public school three years ago, was severely lacking in "civilian" clothes. So, the two were off to pick up a couple outfits before the week began. Mrs. Anderson opened the door, dressed in a pale green business suit. Kurt wondered if she ever wore clothes that weren't suits, or if she sometimes wore pajamas or jeans. He suddenly had an image of her asleep, next to Blaine's father (who, in his mind, looked like a greying Blaine), in the same suit she was currently wearing.

"Good morning, Mrs. Anderson."

"Good morning, Kurt. Are you here for Blaine?"

"Yes ma'am."

"He's in the shower." Kurt tried not to picture it, since the boy's mother was right in front of him, and an inopportune arousal would be embarrassing. He expected that she would invite him inside, but instead they stood in silence.

"May I... uh, may I come in?" He finally ventured to ask.

"Oh! I apologize. I seem to have forgotten my manners." She said, her Southern twang coming out more than usual. Kurt walked into the foyer, its walls coated in antique paintings and bronzed urns. Above an elaborate furniture piece, the use of which Kurt was unsure, hung a small oil painting of Blaine as a child. In the few times that he had been over to Blaine's house, Kurt focused on this painting. He had always somehow imagined Blaine as a fully-formed, fully-actualized teenager, but that painting proved that he had once been a boy. He still had that same puppy-dog expression on his face, the same big, brown eyes, the same triangular eyebrows, the same full lips. But Kurt could see that something was hiding behind those eyes, some kind of hurt or sadness. Something he saw in the school pictures Burt kept on the mantlepiece. There was a call for help in their eyes, something saying, "I'm different, I'm uncomfortable." Something that had disappeared, for the most part.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by Blaine's voice. "I'll be down in a minute!" Kurt looked up and saw Blaine wrapped in a towel. He caught his breath in his throat and tried not to blush.

Within the hour, the two were in the nearest department store, flipping through the racks. "What about this?" Blaine asked, pulling a mustard yellow cardigan from the racks."

"You're kidding, right?" Kurt raised one eyebrow.

"What's wrong with it? I can do warm colors."

"That's not warm, that's... gross. Yellow isn't your color. And anyhow, you have enough cardigans to make the National Association of Librarians salivate."

Blaine shrugged. "I like cardigans. What do you suggest?"

"Full outfits. Jeans, shirts, things that aren't cardigans or blazers." Kurt continued looking through the racks.

"Dress me." Blaine suggested. "I'm your Barbie doll."

"Barbie has better legs." Kurt retorted.

Eventually, they wound up crammed into the dressing room. Blaine was trying on what seemed like his six thousandth pair of jeans for the day. "I don't know, do they make my ass look okay?" He asked.

"I don't think anything would make your ass look bad." Kurt replied, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth.

"You're sweet." Blaine replied. Instantly switching gears, he asked, "Are you going to be okay tomorrow?"

"Probably not. Not a whole lot I can do about it."

"Do you want to talk?" Blaine sat down on the bench where his own pants were laying.

"I feel like all I've done is talk and bitch and moan for the past few days." Kurt admitted.

"It's a tough situation. Tell me what you're feeling."

Kurt sighed. The day's outing had managed to take his mind of the worry for the time being. "Karofsky has already threatened my life. What's to stop him from acting on his promise?"

"Me. Finn. Hell, Mercedes and Tina could probably take him down, and would if given the chance."

"But you guys won't be with me all the time. What if he comes to my house? What if he catches me in the bathroom? There are so many what ifs."

"But there's no alternative. It looks bad right now, Kurt, but everything is going to work out okay."

Kurt sighed with finality. "I'm sick of talking. Can't we just move on?"

"If that's what you want. Just remember that we all love you very much, and we're here for you." Blaine removed the jeans he was wearing, leaving Kurt speechless for what felt like the zillionth time that day. "I'm going to get these."


	4. Beginning Again

Monday morning arrived like a judge's gavel during a sentencing. Kurt groaned as his alarm clock went off. He half-heartedly crawled out of bed and pulled on his clothes for the day. It felt weird not to wear his itchy Dalton jacket, but he decided not to focus on it. He met Finn at the breakfast table, and they shared a silent meal. The two climbed into Finn's rusted Ford truck for the ten-minute ride to school.

"What's your first class?" Finn finally asked.

"World History. Mr. Brown is my teacher. Is he good?" Kurt replied robotically.

"Not terrible. Is Blaine in that class with you?"

"Nope. He's a junior, so he's in U.S. History. He's in French, Theater, and Glee with me."

"Well, it'll be good for us all to be together during Glee." Finn tried to remain optimistic.

"Yeah. I guess."

Kurt was nauseous by the time they reached the parking lot, and worried that he would either collapse or vomit once he reached the school. Finn walked in front of him, checking over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure that Kurt wouldn't run off. They held their breaths as they walked in the double-doors to the main hallway.

It was empty, except for the usual sights: couples kissing on lockers, a few freshman girls giggling in a corner, someone chewing on the end of an unlit cigarette. Kurt breathed for what felt like the first time that day. No slushies in his face, no one knocking him into a locker, just a normal, bustling hallway.

"Are you going to be okay?" Finn asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to class." Kurt replied, looking nervously over his shoulder. Finn slapped him on the back, and they parted ways.

Rachel was waiting for Kurt in his first class. She was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, and had her purse, shaped like a frog, draped over the desk next to her.

"Kurt! Over here!" she shrieked, as if he could ignore her hot pink tights and headband. "Aren't you excited? We get to be study buddies!"

He was, understandably, less than thrilled to be stuck in a class next to Rachel, who had a habit of passing notes and writing hearts over her i's. But, he noticed, he was already a good fifty years ahead of the rest of the class thanks to his history class at Dalton. Plus, the teacher was kind of cute in a tweed-jacket kind of way. Just when his mind started to wander off into that territory, he felt the buzz of his phone in his pocket. Inconspicuously, he pulled it out to find a text from Blaine, reading, "courage." Kurt had to smile.

His second class was English. Not Kurt's favorite subject, but Mercedes was there, and they gossiped during "group work." She helped catch him up on the reading, explaining in her own way the basic plot of _Ethan Frome_. He taught her a new way to wear the silk scarf she had wrapped around her neck that day. They laughed, and it was like old times again.

Third period was French. He and Blaine met up right before the class, and took a deep breath together. "How has it been so far?" Blaine asked, genuine concern in his eyes.

"Fine. Weird." Kurt shrugged. "I haven't seen you-know-who around."

"Voldemort?" Blaine asked, laughing.

"Karofsky." Kurt smiled. "I'm praying he's not in any of my classes." Blaine opened his mouth to speak, but just then the bell rang, and both rushed into the classroom and into the two closest seats they could find. The teacher began class, rattling off something about the difference between the imparfait and passé composé. Kurt felt a light tap on his shoulder, and looked to see Blaine passing him a folded-up note.

_You're worried about Karofsky being in one of your classes_, it read.

_Wouldn't you be?_, Kurt wrote back.

_You don't think your dad took care of that?_ Blaine wrote, _I assumed that he would have explained that to the principal._

Kurt smiled. _I didn't think of that. I guess he did? I'll have to see._

_ P.S. Dinner tonight?_ Blaine responded. Kurt caught his eye and nodded. Both decided it was time to pay attention to whatever their teacher was saying, and started furiously jotting down notes.


	5. Roadblock

By the time Glee practice came around during fourth period, Kurt was feeling slightly more confident about returning to his old school. He hadn't seen Karofsky all day, Blaine was walking closer to him than usual, and he was about to be reunited with friends he hadn't seen in almost a month. He and Blaine turned the corner onto the hallway where the Glee room was situated, when suddenly he heard an all-too-familiar voice call out from behind him.

"Welcome back, Queer." It said. Kurt turned around and saw Karofsky leaning against a locker, examining his fingernails. Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but Blaine spoke first.

"Is there a problem, bro?" He asked.

"Yeah there's a problem. We don't like homos in this school." Karofsky responded.

"They don't seem to have a problem with you." Kurt muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" Karofsky threatened, moving in closer to Kurt. Kurt could feel the heat of his breath on his face. "You have something you want to tell me, Queer?"

"Only that you would probably benefit from a tongue scraper. And that I'm not scared of you." Kurt replied.

"Well, you should be." Karofsky retorted, slightly taken aback.

"Fuck off, David." Blaine shouted. Karofsky glared at the two, then walked off.

"One day your boyfriend's not going to be here..." Karofsky called out, turning the corner.

Kurt's face was pale by the time they got into the Glee classroom. Rachel was directing Finn, Sam, and Puck to put up a banner reading "Welcome Back, Kurt!" Tina, Artie, Mike, and Mercedes were laughing in a corner of the room about something Rachel had said. Quinn looked on, befuddled, as Brittany and Santana were engrossed in an intimate conversation, faces just inches from each other.

Quinn was the first one to notice that Kurt and Blaine had entered the room. "Welcome back!" She half-squealed, half-whispered, running up to the two. "How has your first day been so far?"

"Not great." Blaine spoke for the both of them. "We just ran into Karofsky in the hallway."

"And?" Finn entered the conversation, looking upset.

"Don't worry about it." Kurt sighed. "I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself."

Finn scrunched up his face. "If things get worse, let me know. I'm not afraid to throw a bitch down."

"Language, Finn!" Rachel stated with a wink as she, and the others, joined the group talking. "Virgin ears!" They all laughed. As the bell rang, Mr. Schuster walked into the class, fumbling with a button on his vest.

"Kurt, welcome back." He began, "Blaine, welcome to New Directions."

"Pardon?" Blaine asked, twisting his neck.

"New Directions. It's the official unofficial name of our Glee club." Mr. Schuster smiled.

"I thought you said nude..." Blaine trailed off. "Nevermind."

"We get it a lot." Rachel added. "It's no Aural Intensity, but..."

Mr. Schuster began rubbing his hands together. "Guys, we've got Regionals coming up in three weeks, as you all know. Now, Blaine, Kurt, we've already picked out the songs and have just been working on perfecting them lately. Do you think you can pull it together by then?" The two nodded in unison. "Perfect." He continued talking, but Kurt was in a daze, unable to listen. At some point, sheet music was handed out, and he sang, learned choreography, and sight-read. But if someone were to ask him what song they sang or what the moves were, he wouldn't have remembered it.

Karofsky's words kept bouncing around his head, like a tennis ball that never loses momentum, never slows down. "One day your boyfriend's not going to be here..." was that a threat? Was he threatening Blaine or Kurt? Kurt's throat burned at the thought of Blaine being hurt. Would Karofsky do that? Sure, Blaine was openly gay and proud, something that Karofsky obviously found threatening... but it didn't seem likely. For a bully, Karofsky had a decent amount of method to his madness. He targeted those that fought back least. That's why, as Rachel had told Kurt, the bullying had died down after he left. Finn, Mike, Sam, and Puck had fought back. They could hold their own if push, literally, came to shove. But Kurt was different. The one time he had fought back, Karofsky had kissed him... assaulted him, really. Karofsky still had the upper hand, and he knew it. And although Blaine was Kurt's defender, the feud was between Kurt and Karofsky, and Kurt instinctively knew that it would stay that way.

But what to do? His dad would do everything possible, but without tangible proof or a teacher's testimony, Figgins couldn't do much of anything. Kurt could surround himself with the people Karofsky feared least, but they couldn't always be there. In the bathroom, for instance. Kurt smiled a bit through the fear at the idea of Finn and Sam standing behind him at the urinal, like gargoyles or the two lions at the entrance of the New York Public Library.

He tossed the options over and over again in his mind. Short of hiring a police officer to follow him around, Kurt was stuck. Walking out of the Glee room for lunch, he sighed, repeating the mantra his father had always told him: "This, too shall pass." Mentally, he counted the days left in the school year. Six weeks was forty-two days, minus weekends... thirty school days. Subtract the day for Regionals, and two mental health days... twenty-seven days.

"I can do it." He muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Blaine asked, mouth full of tuna salad.

"Nothing." Kurt mumbled.

* * *

A/N: Thanks again to everyone for reading, adding, subscribing, favoriting (sp?), etc. I'm excited (and kind of scared) about where this story is going. I'll let you all know that within the next chapter or two, there is going to be a trigger warning. I'll post it again at the beginning of the chapter, but I'm letting you all know now. Please don't forget to review! I'm going to try to get chapter 6 out tomorrow (since I have a long-ass break in between classes and activities).

Muchas nachos!


	6. Keep Me Near

The rest of Kurt's first day back was something of a blur. He might have gone to Pre-Calc. Puck- no was it Sam? sat next to him in Chemistry. They tinkered with Bunsen burners and test tubes mindlessly. That was one thing Kurt liked about Puck and Sam- they weren't much for talking. If Finn, Blaine, or Rachel had been there, the whole class would have been a psychoanalysis. But this was calm, almost Zen-like.

By the time he got home, all he wanted to do was go to sleep for the rest of the afternoon, but he knew that his father wouldn't let that happen. While having an attentive father was great at times, Kurt sometimes resented the fact that Burt would never leave him alone for a long amount of time. Kurt checked his watch... there was still another hour until his father got home. He decided to take a short nap on the couch.

He woke up to Carol gently stroking his back. "Taking a nap, hon'?" she cooed. He mumbled a few noises and halfway opened his eyes. "How was your first day back?" She continued, and Kurt wondered if she was conspiring to keep him from napping.

"Fine." He grumbled. "Not really. Kind of crappy."

"Were people mean?" She asked, sitting down in the place where the crook of his knees made a space on the couch.

"I don't really want to talk about it, Carol."

She continued stroking his hair. "Well, I just woke you up to let you know that Blaine is here for your dinner date tonight."

Kurt heard Blaine's voice from across the room, laughing. "It's not exactly a dinner date, Mrs. Hummel. Just dinner amongst friends and compatriots." Kurt bolted up, the blood rushing away from his head.

"Blaine. You're here?" Kurt half-asked, half-shouted.

"Not unless this is my evil twin." Blaine smiled.

"But... but... my hair." Kurt stammered, embarrassed that his crush had seen him looking anything less than flawless.

Blaine laughed again. "It's not a problem. Really. Your bedhead is kind of hilarious, actually." Kurt ran upstairs to fix anything else set amiss by his nap. Blaine, like the puppydog he was, followed Kurt's heels. He plopped down on Kurt's bed, re-tying a shoelace.

"So I think your dad and step-mom think we're dating." Blaine announced, giggling.

Kurt stopped his coiffing for a second and blushed. Gathering his nerves, he plainly stated, "Well, my dad did find you in my bed once. It's a pretty solid hypothesis."

"But a false one." Blaine unbuttoned and re-buttoned his cardigan.

"Hypotheses can't be false. Only disproved." Kurt recited automatically.

"Are you disproving it?" Blaine asked, dropping the front of his sweater mid-button.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kurt asked.

"Are you disproving their theory that we're dating?"

"Blaine, that doesn't make sense. You're mixing your metaphors again."

"Are we dating?"

Kurt dropped the comb he had in his hands, more out of shock than anything else. "Do you think we're dating?"

"Not yet." Blaine shrugged. "But, like, I was kind of hoping that tonight..."

"Was a date?"

"Yeah."

"You're kind of adorable when you're flustered, you know that?" Kurt asked, stooping to pick up his comb.

"I'm taking that as a yes." Blaine replied.

* * *

A/N: YES. AN UPDATE HAS FINALLY ARRIVED. Enjoy, read, and review. And be sure to check out my other stories if you get a chance!


	7. Dreams and Nightmares

A/N: This chapter has a trigger warning for sexual assault. If this is triggering or upsetting to you, you will want to stop reading at the line halfway through.

As usual, please don't hesitate to comment. This chapter was very tough to write, and I appreciate your feedback. I have to go write like 60,000 fluff pieces now to make up for this chapter.

* * *

Blaine played with a curl over his and Kurt's fettucine alfredo and spaghetti and meatballs. Kurt twirled the pasta around his fork, but couldn't bring himself to eat. He was surprisingly not nervous, but still couldn't manage to put the food into his mouth. Blaine, on the other hand, was stuffing pasta in his mouth with one hand, and gripping a garlic knot with the other.

"You okay?" Blaine asked, swallowing part of a meatball.

"Yeah... just. Yeah." Kurt muttered. Blaine glared at him for a minute, and words just started pouring out. "I thought I'd feel different, I guess. I've crushed on you since we met, Blaine. I expected there to be fireworks and love explosions and adult contemporary music playing in the background. Now that we're together, it's just..."

"Anti-climatic?" Blaine offered.

"You always know the right word." Kurt smiled.

"Will it make you feel better if I guarantee a kiss tonight on the way home?" Blaine asked, inching his pinky towards Kurt's hand.

"You saucy minx." Kurt laughed.

They finished up dinner, threw their coats back on, and began the short walk back to Hummel/Hudson house. They laughed and joked, trading backhanded compliments and flirty insults. About a block from Kurt's house, and mid-sentence, Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand. It was a staccato, quick maneuver, and it took Kurt by surprise. Blaine's hand was surprisingly rough, callused from years of dabbling in every instrument imaginable. It was warm, dry, but comfortable, like a blanket right out of the dryer. Kurt was so shocked, he stopped mid-step, and made Blaine stumble.

"Sorry." Blaine muttered.

"Don't be. Just... surprised." Kurt shrugged.

They stood still for a minute, the streetlamps flickering on and off behind them. Somewhere in the distance, a car with extra-loud bass drove closer, then further away from them. A car alarm went off. But Kurt was deaf to every sound around him except the noise of Blaine's breath going in and out of his lips. Their faces were a foot apart, then a few inches. Then, it just happened.

He was kissing Blaine Anderson.

Whereas Blaine's hands were callused and rough, his lips were soft and sweet. He tasted a little garlicky, but in a pleasant way. Kurt could feel Blaine's chin stubble on his face. There was a hand in Kurt's hair, another hand on the small of his back, a nibble on his lower lip. He wanted to melt into Blaine's lips permanently, just to stay in that moment forever.

After forever and not long enough, Blaine broke the kiss, his breathing ragged in Kurt's ears. Kurt leaned his head forward, exhausted, into Blaine's shoulder. Blaine's hand was still on Kurt's back. They just stood together for a minute, neither wanting to break the high they were both riding.

Kurt decided to break the silence first. "It's getting late. I should get home."

"I'm parked down the street. I'll walk you home." Blaine agreed. They grabbed hands again, this time intertwining their fingers.

They kept their relationship fairly secret at school. Being in a gay couple at their school could have big consequences, not only from other students, but from the not-always-supportive administration. The Glee club knew they were together the second Blaine and Kurt walked into the classroom the next morning. Mercedes, who had a sixth sense about couples, announced, "You guys kissed."

"Pardon?" Blaine asked, taken aback.

"You kissed. You guys are together." Mercedes repeated.

"How do you do that?" Kurt asked.

"So you are?" Rachel squealed, far too excited.

"Yes." Kurt and Blaine said in unison.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday came around without incident. Kurt saw Karofsky once or twice in the hallway, but managed to duck behind a taller person before they met eyes. Kurt caught up with his classmates in class, and even started answering questions and joining in discussions. He and Blaine practiced the Glee club's songs for Regionals in between kisses on their parents' couches. All in all, it was looking to be a decent rest of the semester. Kurt was even getting comfortable with the idea of staying at McKinley for the next school year.

* * *

In the middle of the next week, Kurt excused himself to the bathroom during English. As he was washing his hands, he felt someone standing behind him, staring at him. He turned around, begrudgingly, to see Karofsky behind him.

"Your boyfriend's not here, is he?" Karofsky snarled.

"What do you want?" Kurt sighed, trying to look braver than he felt.

"I'm sick of having you and your fucking queer face at this school."

"My queer face isn't exactly thrilled to be here either."

Karofsky stared at Kurt for a minute, and Kurt was hopeful that he had finally shut the bully up. "Get down on your knees." Karofsky growled.

Kurt's face turned white. "What?"

"I said down on your fucking knees." Karofsky put his hands on Kurt's shoulders and forced him down to the ground. He began unbuckling his belt.

"What do you want from me?" Kurt shouted, tears forming in his eyes.

Karofsky just formed a smile that made Kurt's blood run cold, and unbuttoned his jeans.

Twenty minutes later, the bell rang, and Kurt was curled up in between the wall of a bathroom stall and the toilet. There was a bit of dried vomit next to the seat, his vomit. His breath was uneven, shallow. His eyes were red and swollen. Karofsky had left, gone back to class, but Kurt couldn't move. He sang to himself, softly, trying to calm himself and stop the next round of vomit that he could feel rising in his throat.

Footsteps echoed on the cold tile. Kurt would have recognized the scuffed, torn Converses anywhere. He desperately wished to be invisible, to disappear before the owner of those shoes found him. But it was too late.

"Kurt? What are you doing here?" Puck asked, shocked to find his usually-fastidious friend curled up on the disgusting bathroom floor.

Kurt shrugged.  
"Are you okay?"

Kurt shook his head no.

"What happened?"

Kurt closed his eyes and tried to become invisible. It didn't work. Puck grabbed his shoulders to help him up.

"Don't touch me!" Kurt yelled, his voice like a stranger's, bouncing off the concrete walls. "Don't ever touch me!" He pushed Puck's hands away, hitting, scratching, punching the air.

Puck stood, silent, staring at Kurt's tear-streaked face. "What happened?" He asked again.

"Nothing." Kurt shrugged, more tears coming out of his eyes.


	8. Airplanes at 3 AM

Somehow, Kurt made his way home. He wasn't 100% sure how he got there or when. All he knew was that he woke up in his bed, still in his school clothes, and his clock read 3:16 AM. He couldn't go back to sleep. He tried flipping through his chemistry book, but the words just flowed into one big blob without making any sense. He grabbed his phone from his nightstand, and saw a dozen messages from his friends asking what had happened and where he went.

It all came back in one nauseating wave: Karofsky's belt buckle, the cold bathroom tile, the taste of bile in his mouth. Kurt thought he was going to vomit again, but his stomach was empty. He flipped through the messages again, and stopped at a text from Blaine. It simply read: "r u ok? worried about u. call me." Kurt smiled a bit at Blaine's text-speak. He sent a message back, knowing that Blaine would probably be dead asleep at this point, but feeling like it was the right thing to do all the same.

Less than a minute later, Blaine called. "Sorry to wake you," Kurt started.

"Not a problem. Are you okay? I was so worried." Blaine whispered.

"I'm fine." Kurt lied. "Just a stomach bug."

"So you'll be back tomorrow? We've got that intense practice after school tomorrow."

Kurt didn't want to think about going back to the walls of McKinley, not after what had happened. He couldn't even imagine staying after school to practice. "I don't know, Blaine. I'm thinking maybe I should quit Glee for the rest of the semester." The words fell out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, what?" Blaine asked, his voice raising an octave. "But you love Glee."

"Yeah, but I'm so far behind on my studying. I need to concentrate on school." Kurt felt as though someone else was using his mouth to say the things he was saying.

"I mean, if that's what you want. Just sleep on it, okay?" Blaine sighed. "I don't want you to do something you'll regret."

"I won't regret it." Kurt lied again, "I just need some me-time is all."

After he hung up the phone, Kurt opened the blinds in his room. The sky was pitch dark, not even a star shining. He curled back up in his bed, watching the flickering lights of airplanes streak over the sky. He had always watched the airplanes as a kid when he couldn't go to sleep. Somehow, though, this was different. Everything around him was different- bigger, scarier, like the backdrop of a horror film. He knew he wouldn't go back to sleep, but stay in bed anyhow.

The next day at school, Kurt felt like an animal in a zoo. He could have sworn that everyone was staring at him the whole day, gawking. He tried to brush his bangs forward into his eyes to hide himself, but only felt stupid. Every word spoken to him felt like an accusation. Even English class with Mercedes felt like a trial. Their conversation of _A Streetcar Named Desire_ was no help, either. Normally, Kurt would have jumped at the chance to act in class, but today he declined. Speaking or reading would just feel like he was putting himself out in the open to be picked apart.

Although he had plans to quit Glee, he was still enrolled in the class, and had to sit through all of fourth period surrounded by happy, singing people. There was nothing in the world he wanted less. Rachel, always the optimist, tried to cheer him up with a song. It didn't work. She even offered him the chance for a duet at Regionals, but he declined.

"I'm just not in the mood to stand out lately," he sighed. Everyone looked at him curiously, but decided not to ask questions.

"Regionals are next week, Kurt." Rachel shrugged. "We can't win without you."

"Well, you'll have to." He snapped. "I'm not really feeling like a winner right now, so maybe it's best to go on without me." He stormed out of the room, and collapsed against a wall in the hallway, crying.

Blaine ran out after him. "What's going on? I thought you were feeling better." He asked.

"I'm just in a bad place right now." Kurt mumbled into his hands.

"Can I help you with anything?" Blaine cooed. "I'm your boyfriend, that's what I'm here to do." He gently touched Kurt's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Kurt yelled, the words reverberating off the cinderblock walls.

Blaine backed away, his hands in the air. "Something is wrong, Kurt. I know it. You can deny it and say that you're fine all you want, but I don't believe you. When you're ready to talk, I'm here." He slowly turned away, and walked back into the Glee room.

Kurt laid his head back against the cold, white wall. Blaine was right, something was very, very wrong. But Kurt couldn't exactly reveal that kind of thing to someone he had just started dating. Blaine would think he was damaged goods and instantly break up with him. He couldn't tell Finn, he couldn't tell his father, not even Mercedes or Tina would understand. They would tell him to call the police, but he couldn't It would just make a bigger deal out of something that he wanted to forget altogether.

* * *

A/N: As always, thanks to everyone for the reviews and favorites and such! I'm really finding it interesting to experience the characters through this story. (I wouldn't say I'm enjoying it, but... yannow.) We've got a few big events coming up in the next couple chapters (Regionals and prom, for instance). I hope that you're liking the story. Please continue reviewing, and make sure to check out my other stories. Much love.


	9. Are You Happy Now

A/N: This chapter has a trigger warning for talk of sexual assault and eating disorders.

* * *

Kurt stumbled through that week blindly. He tried his hardest to pay attention in class, but always seemed to fall behind on his work. He stopped doing homework, choosing instead to sleep from the moment he got home until dinner, and then again after he had pushed his peas and carrots around his plate for a few minutes. Burt asked him why he wasn't eating much, to which Kurt always responded, "I had a big lunch." Thankfully, Finn was more than willing to eat any of Kurt's leftovers. Living on an empty stomach, he grew more irritable than usual, lashing out at anyone who spoke to him.

Usually, the target of this anger was Blaine. Kurt hated to fight with his boyfriend, but it seemed like every time they spoke, they wound up arguing. It wasn't even big things that set Kurt over the edge, just little flaws in Blaine's character. Once, Blaine dropped his sweatshirt on the floor, and Kurt yelled at him for being a slob. Sometimes Blaine would try to hold his hand, and Kurt would recoil away. He no longer wanted any physical contact- even hugs from Carole were unwelcome. Eventually, Kurt stopped answering Blaine's calls. They were still together- their facebooks said so. But it was almost like they were back at separate schools again. Kurt couldn't fully understand why he was pushing Blaine away. He loved him, he truly did. But he just didn't want to deal with people anymore. Everything anyone else said or did was irritating.

In his infinite wisdom (and with an upperhand, having slept with the head secretary once), Mr. Schue refused to let Kurt transfer out of Glee. Kurt would sit with his arms crossed, staring off into space each class, but he was there. And at after-school practices, he stood in the back of the formations, mouthing along to the lyrics. As much as he hated to admit it, Glee was the one thing he enjoyed. He hated that he enjoyed it. He felt so down, so lost, that he wanted to boil in his own anger and sadness.

One day before class, Mr. Schue pulled him aside. "Kurt, I really want to help you, but it's crunch time. You know as well as I do that we need this win at Regionals. I know there's something hiding inside you right now, and I want to give you the opportunity to let it out. So I want you to pick out a song to sing for us tomorrow. If the rest of the club agrees, I want you to do it at Regionals. Does that sound good?"

Kurt shrugged.

"Good." Mr. Schue replied. "I'm looking forward to it."

Kurt flipped through his music folder on his computer that night. He listened to every song that could possibly relate to his struggle. He scanned the Beatles catalog, every Broadway soundtrack he owned, even a few Pretenders songs that Finn had given him on a mixed CD. Finally, he found the cheesy pop mix that Rachel had made him for Christmas that year, and realized that it contained the perfect song.

The next, day, Kurt strolled into Glee, feeling slightly better. Once the bell rang, he maneuvered himself to the front of the classroom. Mr. Schue asked for a brief explanation of the song.

Kurt shrugged. "It's a Michelle Branch song, actually, called, 'Are You Happy Now.' It just kind of explains everything I'm dealing with right now." And with little more than a nod to the backing band, he began to sing.

_Now, don't just walk away_

_ Pretending everything's okay_

_ And you don't care about me_

_ And I know there's just no use_

_ When all your lies become your truths_

_ And I don't care_

Blaine straightened up in his seat. Rachel instantly recognized the song, and started mouthing the words along with Kurt. Finn's eyebrows were scrunched in concentration.

_Could you look me in the eye_

_ And tell me that you're happy now?_

_ Would you tell it to my face_

_ Or have I been erased_

_ Are you happy now?_

With each line, Kurt's face got redder, and his movements became more and more pronounced. Mercedes leaned back nervously in her chair.

_You took all there was to take_

_ And left me with an empty plate_

_ And you don't care about it_

_ And I am giving up this game_

_ I'm leaving you with all the blame_

_ 'Cause I don't care_

_ Could you look me in the eye_

_ And tell me that you're happy now?_

_ Would you tell it to my face_

_ Or have I been erased_

_ Are you happy now?_

At this point, Kurt was nearly shouting. Tears had started to roll from the corners of his eyes down to his lips.

_Do you really have everything you want_

_ You can't ever give something you ain't got_

_ You can't run away from yourself_

_ Could you look me in the eye_

_ And tell me that you're happy now?_

_ Come on, tell it to my face_

_ Or have I been replaced_

_ Are you happy now?_

_ Are you happy now?_

The group waited a few seconds after he finished before applauding, not sure what to make of the song.

"Well, what did everyone think?" Mr. Schue asked.

"Amazing. I could feel the emotion." Blaine dryly stated.

"I'd consider giving up a solo for that." Rachel smiled. "Well, that's a lie. I wouldn't. But it was great. Kurt."

Kurt's face had gone from bright red to ghostly white. He excused himself, and stepped into the hallway, where tears burst out of his eyes like a broken pipe. He lacked the energy to even sit down, but just stood, crying.

"Kurt?" Mercedes' voice was soft, warm. "Is everything okay?"

"Obviously not." he stammered through his tears.

"What happened, baby?" She asked, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He shifted to miss her touch. "Something is very wrong." she continued, "You normally love my hugs. What happened to you?"

And with the last question she asked, the words suddenly bubbled out of Kurt's mouth. "Something bad. Very very bad." He spat out. "Something Blaine doesn't know about. CAN'T know about."

"Anything, sweetie." She cooed.

Kurt took a deep breath. "Do you remember how Karofsky k-kissed me?" He stuttered. "And how he threatened me if I told anyone?" She nodded. "Well, he did something else. Something worse."

"Did he... did he hurt you?" She asked.

"Sort of." He sighed.

"Did he... you know?" She leaned in closer, biting her lip in worry.

"Not quite." He shut his eyes to keep more tears from coming out. "He held me down and made me..." he tried to find the right words. "Made me go down on him." Kurt could feel the vomit rising in his throat again.

"Oh my god." Mercedes whispered. Suddenly, she started sobbing, thick tears dropping all over her sweater. She didn't even bother to cry into her hands, but just wept in front of Kurt. "I'm sorry." She finally offered, wiping away a tear. "I just... it kills me to think that someone would do that, especially to you, baby. You're my best friend, and I just... I can't."

"Please don't tell Blaine." Kurt pleaded. "You're the only one who knows."

She reached out her open palm, and Kurt took it. The first contact he'd had in weeks. "I promise." Mercedes nodded.

* * *

A/N: As always, thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you all are liking the story. The next chapter is going to be Regionals, so you'll see my take on the matter. Also, things are about to get a lot worse, but also a lot better. Just trust me on this one. Much love, and please don't forget to check out my other stories!

Also, this week is going to be full of shambles (mostly the worst French test ever), so my advance apologies if I don't get chapter 10 up until Friday or Saturday.


	10. Regionals

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to get out! It's been a crazy time in my life. BUT, I'm working on Chapter 11 as we speak. And I've got a shitton of other fics in mind, so get yaselves ready!

* * *

Kurt woke up the morning of Regionals after maybe three hours of sleep. It was five AM, just as the dawn was starting to break. He watched through his blinds as the sun began to rise. He tried to go back to sleep for the next hour or so, but couldn't manage it. Reluctantly, he got up and got ready for the day. Just as he was forcing down a piece of toast for breakfast, he got a text from Blaine, just reading the word, "Courage." Kurt smiled, remembering all the times that those texts had gotten him through. But the knot in his stomach reminded him that this day wasn't something that could be handled with a five-letter text.

"Excited or nervous?" Finn asked over his Captain Crunch, snapping Kurt out of his thoughts.

Kurt shrugged. "Both, I guess."

"You're going to be awesome." Finn smiled, shoving another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "Psyched about your solo?"

Kurt had almost forgotten that he would be performing a solo today. At the last minute (as was his custom), Mr. Schuester had changed Kurt's solo to one more suited to a group performance. They had been practicing it obsessively, and it was as ready as it could be in less than a week.

"I'll be fine, I think." He sighed.

By the time Finn parked his car, the bus had arrived to take the Glee club across town to the auditorium where they would compete. Everyone saddled into their usual seats on the bus: Rachel alone in the front, concentrating on the songs on her iPod. Santana and Brittany were sharing a seat in the back, mumbling something to each other. Puck was leaning over the seat in front of them, trying to sneak into the conversation. Mercedes, Tina, and Mike were laughing about something or other. Finn sat by himself, with Quinn and Sam having a soft conversation in the seat in front of them. Blaine was leaning against the wall of the bus, his legs stretched out over the seat next to him. When Kurt finally stepped onto the bus, Blaine bolted to sit upright, and patted the seat next to him. Kurt reluctantly sat down.

"I'm so excited! The Warblers made it to Regionals when I was a Freshman, but we never went back." Blaine squealed.

Kurt shrugged.

"Are you excited about your solo? I sure am." Blaine shifted a little bit in his seat.

Kurt nodded.

Blaine was quiet for a few seconds. "Are you okay?"

"Just nerves I guess." Kurt offered.

"You're going to be great." Blaine said, interlacing his fingers with Kurt. Kurt slid out of Blaine's grasp. He instantly felt bad about it, but couldn't stop his hand from moving. They spent the rest of the ride in silence.

The green room before their performance was buzzing with a combination of excitement, nerves, and the telltale smell of sweat on polyester costumes. Everyone was quiet, fingers drumming on the sides of their chairs, as Rachel went over their setlist for the umpteenth time.

"So we're clear, then?" She concluded, playing with the hem of her dress. "We start with my solo on 'Natural Woman.' Then we move onto 'Song of Purple Summer' with Kurt on lead." She sighed at that last word, obviously perturbed that she was missing a single solo. "Finally, we conclude with 'December 1963,' with myself on lead. Any questions?"

Mercedes sighed, "Why are we not doing the Aretha version of the first song again? I mean, do you really need two solos?"

"We don't have time for this, Mercedes." Finn grimaced. "Just put up with it for now."

Mercedes rolled her eyes. Rachel opened her mouth to speak again, but just then a mousy woman in a lime-green cardigan peeked her head into the green room. "New Directions? You are on in five."

"Thank you five." Everyone responded together. They filed into the wings of the stage just as the last song of the group before them was beginning.

Blaine snuck up behind Kurt, placing his hands gently on Kurt's shoulders. "Good luck, babe." He whispered, placing a soft kiss on Kurt's cheek. Kurt held back a shudder at being touched.

"Thanks." Was all he could respond. The two stood together for a minute, just listening to their opponents' harmonies. Kurt, for the first time in a long time, broke the tension. "Blaine, I have something I need to tell you." He hissed out, all in one word.

Blaine smiled.

Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of the applause for the previous group drowned out the words.

"Break a leg!" Blaine shouted, and pulled Kurt onto the stage.


	11. The Song of Purple Summer

Kurt swayed side-to-side, singing a few "oohs" and "ahhs" behind Rachel's solo. His heart was beating so hard, he was worried that it would beat straight out of his rib cage. His palms were clammy, and his forehead was sweating under the harsh stage lights. Rachel hit the final note of her song, and the audience burst into applause. She played coy to their enjoyment, and backed up to the semicircle formation for the next song. Kurt wanted nothing less than to run backstage again and leave his solo to someone else. But the lights were on him, so he stepped forward, closing his eyes. The soft piano music began, and he started to sing as though his voice was action of its own volition.

_And all shall fade_

_The flowers of spring_

_The world and all its sorrows_

_At the heart of everything_

Kurt's forehead was now drenched in sweat. He was embarrassed to be in front of all those people. He was pretty sure that they were all out there in the audience, laughing at his voice, his face, the amount of eyeliner he had had to apply to make sure that his face was visible.

_But still it stays_

_The butterfly sings_

_And opens Purple Summer_

_With the flutter of its wings_

All the others began humming behind him. He wiped his palms on the side of his pants. He finally opened his eyes, seeing nothing but the blinding white spotlight in his eyes.

_The Earth will wave with corn_

_The Gray Fly Choir will mourn_

_And mares will neigh_

_With stallions that they mate_

_Foals they've borne_

_And all shall know the wonder_

_Of Purple Summer_

The rest of the club joined in with him now, adding harmonies and riffs over his solo. As the music crescendoed, Kurt's ears buzzed. He was disappearing into this song, and, for the first time in a while, he felt good.

_And yet I wait_

_The swallow brings_

_A song too hard to follow_

_That no one else can sing_

_The fences sway_

_The porches swing_

_The clouds begin to thunder_

_Crickets wander, murmuring_

As the volume of the choir grew, Kurt felt himself fading back into the cohesive unit that was Glee. He was safe. He was home. His solo was over. He turned to his right, and saw Blaine, smiling through his singing. Kurt weakly smiled back.

_The Earth will wave with corn_

_The Gray Fly Choir will mourn_

_And mares will neigh_

_With stallions that they mate_

_Foals they've borne_

_And all shall know the wonder_

_I will sing the song of Purple Summer_

_And all shall know the wonder_

_I will sing the song of Purple Summer_

_All shall know the wonder_

_Of Purple Summer_

And with that, the song was over. The audience erupted with applause, a few people getting on their feet. In the shift between formations for the next song, Rachel grabbed his hand. She gave it a quick squeeze, and moved forward to take her place in center stage. The loud piano introduction blasted through the speakers, and Kurt kept in time to the choreography. It felt great to be back onstage. He was a different person in front of people. The Offstage Kurt was shy, weak, easily heartbroken. The Onstage Kurt, though, was strong and sexy. He could take on anything. By the time the group took their final pose for the song, Kurt's hands had stopped sweating. He was running on adrenaline, the positive energy from the audience. And when they broke into applause again, a few people rising from their seats, Kurt realized that Onstage Kurt needed to make a backstage appearance.

New Directions skipped offstage, heading back into the green room. Right outside the door, Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked.

Blaine's forehead wrinkled, and his eyes grew wide. "Absolutely."

"Well, you know I've been going through a rough patch lately." Kurt started.

"Yeah. And I'm behind you 100% in whatever you want to do."

"Good, because I feel like-"

Blaine cut him off. "I really like you a lot, but if we need to break up, I understand." Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes.

Kurt stood frozen for a minute. "What? Blaine, breaking up with you is the last thing I would ever want to do."

"What? But all the signs are there. You're distant, you don't want me to touch you, we haven't spent much time together..."

Kurt swallowed hard, feeling his face flush. "I know. I've been a terrible boyfriend lately. And I hate that I've done that. Something happened to me, Blaine. Something I'm not completely ready to talk about yet. I hope that you understand that. But if you will be my prom date next week, and continue being the amazing support system that you have been these past few weeks, I promise that I will do everything I can to make it up to you."

Blaine sniffled a bit, his face breaking into a smile. "You have no idea how happy that makes me. I... I'm in love with you, Kurt. There's no other explanation." And, in a move so quick that Kurt thought he was injured, Blaine dropped to one knee, and took Kurt's hand in his own. "Kurt Hummel, will you do me the honor of being my prom date?"

Kurt laughed. "Of course. Now stand up and kiss me already."

Blaine was only too happy to obey. They kissed with such a fire that Kurt was pretty sure his lips would be bruised. Blaine snaked his fingers through Kurt's hair. Kurt felt his shoulders relaxing, not realizing that he had been so tense. When the kiss finally broke, they heard a soft cough behind them.

Finn was leaning his head out of the doorframe. "If it's okay with you two, we were going to discuss the performances? You know, if it's not a problem."

Everyone in the green room was staring out at the red-faced boys. Santana yelled out, "Get some!" as Rachel hid her face beneath her hands. Kurt interlaced his fingers with Blaine's as they made their way into the room.

Two hours later (the longest two hours of their lives), they sat in the auditorium, waiting anxiously for the announcement of who won the competition. The wife of the mayor of Lima moved the scorecard in between her fingers as the chatter in the auditorium died down.

"In third place," she began, with a voice like nails on a chalkboard, "The Riverwood Singing Otters." Everyone clapped politely. She scanned her finger along the scorecard. "And, the runner up..." she waited a few seconds for suspense, "Westvale's Aural Intensity. That means that McKinley High's New Directions, you are going to Nationals!"

The entire club jumped up to their feet at the same time and screamed. Everyone hugged each other. Even Mr. Schuester hugged Puck, which ended in an awkward manly slap on each others' backs. The whole ride back to McKinley, the club was on a high, singing every song from Rent and Wicked that they could think up. Blaine suggested that they try another Spring Awakening song for Nationals, since "The Song of Purple Summer" had been such a success.

"Yeah, I don't think that'll work." Mr. Schue laughed. "Have you heard the other songs from that play? Even _I_ think they're inappropriate."

"Besides, Wendla is so pretentious." Rachel rolled her eyes.

It was already dusk when the bus arrived back at the school. Kurt gave Blaine a dry kiss goodbye, and followed Finn to his car. As he pulled out of his spot, Finn patted Kurt on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you, bro." He said. "You were great today."

"Thanks." Kurt smiled. "Sorry you had to see me and Blaine making out."

"Meh. You've seen Rachel and me going at it plenty of times. It's only fair."

"Speaking of Rachel, are you two going to prom together?"

Finn groaned. "It's all she talks about! I swear, if I have to hear the phrase, 'pocket square' one more time, I may die!"

Kurt laughed. "Well, now that Regionals are over, we have to look forward to the next thing."

"True that." Finn smiled.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! The next chapter will be prom, possibly taking up two chapters, and then the story is done! I hope you all enjoy!


	12. Pocket Squares

The next week passed by like a montage in a cheesy 90's movie. Kurt and Blaine went tux shopping with Finn, Puck, and Mike. Rachel, Lauren, and Tina were all too happy to leave their dates' fashion choices in the capable hands of two fashionable men. Well, one-and-a-half fashionable men. Blaine's fashion sense was hit-or-miss. Sometimes he got it exactly right, like when he picked out an electric blue cummerbund for Mike that perfectly matched Tina's dress. Sometimes, though, he was as far off as a person could be, like when he suggested matching powder-blue suits for Kurt and himself.

"Sometimes I highly doubt that you are truly gay." Kurt laughed, adjusting the lapel on Blaine's suit.

"Sometimes I highly doubt that you're really in my life." Blaine responded, leaning his face in close to Kurt's. Kurt quickly closed the gap between their lips, pressing his face against Blaine's. It was the first real kiss they'd had in weeks, and it was perfect. Soft, dry, tasting vaguely of Blaine's Dr. Pepper chapstick. They would have stayed in that kiss forever, if the sound of Puck clearing his throat didn't pull them out of the kiss.

"Guys, I'm having a problem." He sighed, indicating the hem of his pants, which was about three inches above his ankle.

Blaine laughed, throwing his arms over Kurt's shoulder. "Noah, what size are those?"

Puck shrugged. "Size awesome."

"When was the last time you bought pants for yourself?" Blaine asked.

"I bought some sweatpants last week." Puck crossed his arms.

Kurt rolled his eyes, turning around to see the problem. He instantly burst into laughter. "First things first, Puck. Sweatpants are not real pants. Secondly, don't cross your arms in a suit. It'll tear the seams. Thirdly, you look like a 34x32. Go ask the salesman over there to grab you a pair of pants in that size."

Puck shrugged, tugging at the fabric around his legs as he walked away.

"My little Tim Gunn." Blaine cooed, nuzzling Kurt's nose.

They picked out full suits for the boys, sending pictures to all the girlfriends so that they could approve color palates. They left the mall, each with Frappucinos in one hand and clear plastic-covered suits in the other. Everyone said goodbye and piled into their cars, promising to meet up at the Hummel/Hudson house before the Prom. Kurt slid into the passenger's seat of Blaine's Prius, tucking his bags in between his knees.

"Excited?" Blaine asked, squeezing Kurt's knee.

Kurt nodded. "Glad this year's almost over, mostly."

Blaine sighed. "Me too. It's been pretty insane."

They were silent as Blaine started up the humming engine and pulled his car out of the parking lot.

Blaine woke up the next morning in Kurt's bed, unsure of how he got there. The spot next to him was empty, cold, although the imprint of Kurt's body was still there. Blaine rubbed his eyes and looked around the room. A suit was hanging over the door of the closet- his suit. He was wearing pajamas bottoms, although they were a big tight and long for him. Kurt's pajamas. Suddenly, he remembered how he got into this position.

Driving Kurt home.

Kissing Kurt in his car.

Calling his mother.

Getting permission to spend the night.

Snuggling in Kurt's bed.

Had there been more? He didn't think so.

Thankfully, just then, Kurt barged through the door, humming a song. "Oh." He said, hiding a nondescript shopping bag behind his back. "I didn't expect you to be up yet."

Blaine squinted at Kurt. "What happened last night? Did we drink or something? I barely remember anything."

Kurt laughed. "No, it's just your faulty memory again. We decided to have some alone time, so you got the green light to sleep over. Naturally, your mom assumed you'd be sleeping on the couch."

"Now what gave her that impression?" Blaine smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. "No, seriously, though. Did we... like...?"

Kurt shook his head, his face turning a bright red. "No. I'm afraid not. We didn't even get our shirts off."

Blaine sighed, falling back onto the bed. "Now I remember." He said to the ceiling. "Just some kissing."

Kurt nodded, sliding the shopping bag into his closet.

"I remember something else. I woke up at like 4 AM. Were you... crying, babe?" Blaine asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I got you a surprise!" Kurt squealed, pushing the bag into the back of the closet with his foot.

Blaine bolted upright. "Don't change the subject, Kurt." He stood up, walking over towards his boyfriend. "I know you can't talk about whatever has happened to you, babe, but if you were crying in the middle of the night-"

Kurt cut him off. "I was just upset." He spat.

Blaine threw his hands in the air. "I don't know. I just figure that if you're crying and I'm in bed with you..." He trailed off.

Kurt's eyes began to water. "Oh my god, Blaine. It wasn't that at _all._ Quite frankly, sleeping with you beside me was the best sleep I'd had in weeks."

Blaine blushed. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Kurt nodded. He took Blaine's hand in his own, the rough, callused hand feeling so perfect in his own. "Tonight." He stated.

"What about it?" Blaine asked.

"Tonight, I'm going to tell you what's wrong. It's going to be tough, but you need to know. I don't feel right keeping this secret from you anymore." Kurt could feel his throat closing up and his stomach rumbling with stress-induced indigestion.

"You really don't have to." Blaine sighed.

"No, I do." Kurt shook his head. "It's going to make me feel better. I just... I need some time to figure out the words."

"Of course." Blaine tilted his head to the side, his eyes filled with love and sadness. It was silent in Kurt's room for a while, except for the sound of car horns honking outside.

"I am so in love with you." Kurt finally sighed.

"Same." Blaine smiled.


	13. Prom

A/N: This chapter also has a trigger warning for sexual assault.

* * *

At about 5 PM, guests started arriving for the pre-Prom festivities. Rachel was the first through the door, as usual, dressed in a sparkling yellow-gold dress that reached the floor. Finn's mouth dropped open as she twirled through the door, much to Kurt and Carol's joy. One by one, the couples and solo Glee club members made their way into the Hummel/Hudson house, everyone oohing and ahhing over dresses and suits. Kurt was still dressed, although impeccably, in his everyday clothes. The girls continually asked him when he was going to change, but he would laugh and change the subject. Finally, twenty minutes before they were set to leave for dinner, Kurt excused himself. He stayed upstairs in his bathroom for so long that Blaine wondered aloud if he was sick. Carol assured them that, no, everything was fine.

When everyone started checking their cell phones to make sure they weren't leaving late, a knocking sound at the top of the staircase induced them to look up. There was Kurt, clad in a deep green blazer, a pressed white shirt, knee-high boots and, to everyone's surprise...

"Is that a skirt?" Sam asked, wrinkling his nose.

"It's a kilt, silly!" Burt laughed, taking pictures.

"It's awesome!" Finn smiled.

"It's... wow." Blaine mumbled.

Kurt strutted down the staircase, posing for photographs with the entire group. Before long, they were on their way to Breadstix for dinner. The restaurant was filled with McKinley students, all carbo-loading before the dancefest that their prom was sure to be. The couples all sat across from each other, playing footsie under the table. Blaine beamed at Kurt over his pasta. He leaned in, and Kurt mirrored the action.

"I just wanted to tell you how unbelievably sexy you look tonight." Blaine whispered. Kurt blushed in response. "I mean it." Blaine continued, twirling a clump of spaghetti on his fork. "And I want you to know how amazing you are and how great of a boyfriend you are."

"I should be telling you that." Kurt sighed. "I've been such a terrible boyfriend to you these past few weeks. I've been moody and distant, and I have no idea why you've stayed with me." Blaine opened his mouth to speak, but Kurt silenced him with a wave of his hand. "I know. But if I can be half the boyfriend you are, you will be a very lucky man."

"Well I am very lucky." Blaine's lips curled into a smile.

After everyone worked out how to properly split the bill and threw cash down on the table, the group piled into their limo and were off to the Lima Natural History Museum for McKinley's prom. No one was quite sure how the Prom Committee would manage to turn a stuffy museum into a romantic locale, but the second they walked through the giant double doors and into the central room of the museum, they saw it. Christmas lights had been strung up over the five stories of artifacts and fossils encased in glass display cabinets. The giant recreated dinosaur in the middle of the room was lit with soft light bulbs, taking away its scary overtone and replacing it with a romantic one. The railings on the staircase the wound around the room was wrapped with gold and silver crepe paper.

"Wow." Blaine gasped, grasping onto Kurt's hand.

"I've never seen this place look so... so..." Kurt mumbled, trailing off.

"Magical." Rachel smiled, holding tighter onto Finn.

They all bounded down the stairs onto the dance floor. The DJ had already started playing a slow song, and the couples all paired off and began dancing. Kurt snuggled into Blaine's shoulder as they danced. Blaine's hands held onto Kurt's hips. It was like the rest of the people there simply didn't exist. It was just the two of them, moving to the beat of the cheesy pop song.

"Do you know what this song is called?" Blaine asked, leaning his forehead into Kurt's chest.

Kurt laughed. "If it's not sung by Barbara Streisand, Liza Minelli, Idina Menzel, or Lady Gaga, I don't know what it's called."

"It's called 'Perfect.' It's by Pink." Blaine sighed. "One of these days you're going to love pop music as much as I do."

"Shut up and kiss me." Kurt giggled, running his fingers through Blaine's curls. Their lips met as the song ended and a faster song began. But it didn't matter- Blaine and Kurt were still slowdancing in their own little world. At least they were, until Karofsky's voice ripped them out of it.

"Fucking disgusting." Karofsky growled, and Kurt lost all the color in his face.

"Don't worry about it." Blaine murmured, nuzzling his nose into Kurt's chin. "He's not worth it."

"I have to use the bathroom." Kurt mumbled, pulling out of Blaine's embrace. He thought he heard Blaine say something, but he couldn't hear the words over the sound of his blood rushing in his ears. The bile was rising in his throat again, and he had to make it to the bathroom. He reached a stall just as he began to throw up. His cheek pressed against the cold toilet seat, he didn't even hear footsteps coming in from behind him.

"So here we are again..." he heard Karofsky mutter behind him. He heard the telltale sound of a zipper coming undone, and his heart started to race. He braced his body for whatever was about to happen.

Before he even felt a hand on him, though, he heard a different voice reverberating off the walls.

"No you fucking don't." It said, and Kurt heard the crack of a punch and the thud of a body hitting the ground. Kurt started crying loud, echoing sobs, and felt a hand on his back.

"Shh..." Blaine whispered, gripping a hold of Kurt's shoulders. "He's out cold for a bit. I forgot that I had that uppercut in me."

Kurt managed to laugh through his tears. "How did you know?"

Blaine laid his head on Kurt's shoulder. "I ran after you as soon as you left the dance floor. I knew nothing good could come of you running off like that. I didn't expect it to be..." he let the silence take the place of the word he couldn't bear to say.

Kurt leaned back into Blaine's arms. His heart was still racing. The warmth of Blaine's chest was comforting, like a security blanket.

"Kurt, I heard what he said. He said something about being here again. Was this... did this happen before? Is that what you wanted to tell me?" Blaine asked, choking on his own words.

Kurt nodded, unable to say anything, but feeling the hot tears pour onto his cheeks. He finally managed to gasp out in between sobs, "Blaine... I'm so... I'm so sorry."

Blaine shushed him again. Kurt could feel Blaine's tears on his shoulder. "Don't you dare, Kurt Hummel. You should never be sorry for this. You should never apologize for anything like this. It was not your fault. Do you hear me?" He gripped his arms tighter around Kurt to emphasize his message. "It was never your fault."

"Can we go home?" Kurt sniffled. "I need to get out of here. I need to be somewhere safe."

"Absolutely." Blaine sighed. "I'll call your dad. He can take you home. I'll get a taxi back to my place."

Kurt shook his head, his now-mussed hair scratching Blaine's cheek. "No, you don't understand. I need you with me. I need to have you there."

Blaine wasn't sure how he managed to tear himself away from his boyfriend, crumpled in a heap over the toilet, but he did. He called Burt, explained that Kurt wasn't feeling well, and asked for the both of them to be picked up. Burt seemed skeptical, but said that he would call when he was outside. Karofsky came to shortly after, but Blaine and Kurt had already made their way to the front of the museum, apologizing to their friends on the way.

When Finn, Rachel, Puck, Lauren, Mike, Tina, and all the others made it back to the Hummel/Hudson house, they found Kurt and Blaine curled up together in front of the DVD menu for _Grease._ Quinn nudged them awake.

"Feeling better?" She asked, squeezing Kurt's shoulder.

"Much." He replied groggily. "Did we miss anything interesting?"

"Well, Karofsky somehow got a black eye halfway through the dance." Finn laughed, hanging his jacket in the coat closet. "And then he got arrested."

"What?" Blaine asked, jolting awake. "How? I mean, why?"

"Seems someone found a flask full of Everclear in the boys' bathroom with the initials, 'DXK' engraved on it. No one else in the school has the middle name Xavier, so it was hard to deny whose it was." Puck shrugged. "The cops took him away. I guess underage drinking is taken pretty seriously in these parts."

Blaine and Kurt smiled at each other for a minute, a look of triumph in Blaine's eyes.

Finn coughed. "We'll be down in the basement watching some movies when you guys are ready to join. Just... um... watch out for Mom patrolling the house." He winked, and the group filed downstairs.

Kurt grabbed Blaine's hands so tight, he was worried he might break bones. "He's gone." He whispered. He flopped his forehead onto Blaine's chest. "He's gone he's gone he's gone. This is all over."

"I know." Blaine sighed, kissing the top of Kurt's head. "Are you going to be alright? You kind of had a crisis tonight."

"I'll be fine as long as you're here." Kurt smiled, his eyes watering. "That is... if you still... after all..."

"Are you crazy?" Blaine shouted, earning one of Kurt's hands slapped over his mouth. "Sorry." He finally mumbled, and Kurt took the hand away. "You have to be seriously unstable to think that what that monster did to you would have any effects on my feelings for you." He pulled Kurt in closer, so that he was resting his chin on Kurt's head. "God, if I had only known... well that's neither here nor there. The point is, this is all over. All that's left is to get you whatever it is you need to get through what happened. And I am here for you, ten thousand percent. Nothing can ever change how much I love you, Kurt Hummel."

He would have kept talking, but Kurt had fallen back to sleep in his arms.

* * *

A/N: Whelp, that's the story! I'll post an epilogue some time this week. There will be a touch of smut to make up for the emotional journey that this story was! Thank you to everyone for reading!

Also, don't forget to check out my other story in progress, "Nervous." It's another Klaine piece. 3

P.S. I know that, in the show, the prom takes place in the school, but I didn't like that idea. So, I set their prom where my senior prom was, a natural history museum. Head!canon and all.


	14. Epilogue

The night after their performance at Nationals, Mr. Schuester let the Glee club members meander around New York City. It was a hot, muggy, July evening that made the air stand still. He urged them to stay in groups and avoid poorly-lit areas, but let them go their own ways. Although he wouldn't say it, everyone knew that he was off to visit Shelby and Beth on Long Island. Quinn and Puck came along, promising to send pictures as soon as they could. Santana, Lauren, and Brittany went shopping in Times Square. Rachel dragged Finn along to an off-Broadway play, managing to spend all her cash for the trip on their tickets. Mike and Tina were off to Chinatown to try and find the perfect knock-off designer clothes, along with Sam and Artie.

Blaine and Kurt, on the other hand, opted to stay inside the hotel.

There was a cute diner on the first floor where they ate dinner, and made their way upstairs. Once the elevator doors closed, Kurt pinned Blaine up against the wall of the cube, attacking his lips. The second that the double doors opened again, Kurt grabbed his hand and pulled Blaine down the hallway to his room.

By the time the room door clicked shut, the two were horizontal on the hotel bed, kissing and grasping at every bare piece of skin that they could. Blaine's shirt was off. Then Kurt's. A pair of pants. Shoes, socks, an undershirt. Then, they were in their boxers, just two thin pieces of cotton separating their bodies.

Blaine pulled away. "Kurt, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Absolutely." Kurt growled, pulling his boyfriend in closer.

"I mean really." Blaine murmured. "I've been reading up on people who have gone through what you've been through, and I know that it takes a while to be ready to take that next step."

Kurt sighed and rolled onto his back. "Are we really going to have this conversation right now?"

"If not now, when?" Blaine replied, grabbing hold of Kurt's hand.

"I've talked to my therapist about our relationship. About sex." Kurt stated.

"And what did she say?" Blaine asked.

"That if I feel comfortable, and I make sure that we're safe, I'm ready to go." Kurt smiled.

"Are you? Comfortable, I mean?" Blaine whispered.

Kurt sat up. "I didn't just drag you down the hallway for shits and giggles. I've been ready for weeks now. Just waiting for the right time. Of course, if you're not ready..."

Blaine bolted upright to match his boyfriend's eye level. "I have literally never been more ready for anything in my life. Seriously. All those performances were freaking amateur night compared to the level of preparedness I feel right now."

Kurt laughed. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Blaine opened his mouth to speak, but Kurt silenced him with a kiss.

"I swear," Kurt cooed into Blaine's lips, "if you say one more word that isn't 'fuck' or 'me,' I will walk right out of this room right now."

Kurt awoke the next morning to a call from Rachel.

"We got second place!" She screeched so loudly that it echoed in the room.

"What time is it, Rach?" Kurt grumbled.

"8 AM. That's not important, though. We're the second-best Glee club in the country! The country, Kurt! I have to tell everyone!" Without even a goodbye, she hung up. Kurt flopped back onto his pillow, hitting something with his elbow on the way down.

"Ow." Blaine moaned, grabbing his nose. "You hit me."

"Sorry." Kurt replied, turning so that he was nose-to-nose with his boyfriend. "Did you sleep well?"

"Absolutely." Blaine smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Kurt snuggled in closer.


End file.
